Sunday, October 20, 2013

Thai Basil Tofu Bowl with Sriracha and Stir-Fry Quinoa

Omnomnom

I felt like I was joining a large fan club when I purchased my first bottle of Sriracha for this recipe. It felt good, but I'm not sure why. I had never had Sriracha up until this point (well, once before in hummus), but I'm so, so happy I discovered it. It's delightfully spicy, but not over powering, and relatively affordable! Yeah, I suppose you could use any other type of hot sauce for this recipe, but why?

This was my first go at this, but it turned out yummy, as I hope it does for you!

Baby's first Sriracha

Family photo (aka the ingredients)

Snuggly tofu!

Perfect!

Carrots! Carrots everywhere!

Fun fact! If you hold a match in your mouth while you're cutting onions, you won't cry! A friend taught me this after seeing me border-line sob after cutting a particularly juicy onion, and it works!

Add the quinoa to two cups of water in a sauce pan. Let it boil, then reduce to low heat until all of the water is absorbed-- about 20 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed, turn off the heat.

While quinoa is cooking, cut the tofu into 1/2 inch slices, and then wedge them between two towels and press firmly to remove some excess moisture. I flipped over the towels to a dry side multiple times before I was satisfied. After pressing the tofu, slice it into 1 inch squares. Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat (or, if you're fancy, a wok) and add the tofu. Let it brown one side for about five minutes, flip the pieces over with some tongs and let the other side brown for five minutes.

In between flips you can start making your marinade. Mix together the garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, veggie oyster sauce, Sriracha, honey, and Thai basil in a large bowl. Once all of the tofu is done, mix the pieces in the sauce, and let it marinate in the fridge for about 20 minutes or more. Don't wash the non-stick pan yet-- you'll need it!

This lull should give you time to grate the carrots. God damn, those carrots were a pain, but SO worth it! Once you're done grating and chopping the onions and garlic, add all three to a large hot pan on about medium heat. Cook for about three or five minutes and add the frozen peas and cook until they're warmed, about another five minutes. Then, add the quinoa, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 1/2 tablespoons of Sriracha. Lower the heat to a medium-low.

After the tofu is done marinating, remove the tofu from the sauce and heat it the little guys in the non-stick pan for about two minutes on medium-low heat. Add the marinade and let it thicken for about five minutes. Finally, stir in the extra fresh Thai basil.

To prepare the bowls, put the quinoa on the bottom and add the tofu on top. Or just mix it all in together. It's all going the same place anyway. Enjoy!